Circumnavigating the World
It is difficult for us to imagine not knowing what the
world looks like but in 1577 many areas of the globe lay
undiscovered. Few Europeans had sailed across the
Atlantic or Pacific Oceans and only one attempt had
been made to sail around the world. This had been led
by Ferdinand Magellan who set off from Spain 1519.
The voyage was very dangerous. Only eighteen sailors
out of two hundred and sixty returned and Magellan
himself did not survive. Stories of the journey were so
bad that no one else even tried for nearly sixty years.
This changed in 1580 when Francis Drake sailed up the
River Thames becoming the first Englishman to
circumnavigate the globe. To many, Drake was a hero.
Not only had he sailed round the world but he had
discovered new lands and brought back a huge amount
of treasure. The Queen was delighted and knighted him
for his efforts.
The Golden Hinde
Drake sailed round the world between 1577 and 1580 in
his ship the Golden Hind. It was 75 feet long and 20 feet
wide. There was not much room for the seamen. They
had to live, eat and sleep in small spaces , which were
hardly ever dry. They usually slept on bare boards and
had very little apart from the clothes they wore. They
lived off salt pork and beef, cheese, dried fish and
biscuits. Without fresh fruit and vegetables the seamen
used to catch scurvy. This made them tired and
stopped them from working properly. Lots of them died
unless they were put ashore to find fresh food.
Comprehension
1. Who had sailed around the world before 1577?
2. How do we know the voyage was dangerous?
3. How many years passed before another attempt was
made to circumnavigate the world?
4. Why do you think so many years passed before someone
tried?
5. Who successfully circumnavigated the world in 1580?
6. Why do you think he was thought to be a hero?
7. Why was the Queen delighted with him?
8. Describe The Golden Hinde.
9. In what ways were the lives of sailors, aboard The Golden
Hinde, harsh?
10.What disease did the sailors catch? Give reasons why
they contracted this disease.
11.How do we know what the world looks like today?
12.What contribution did Tudor sailors make to mapping the
world?
About 1540
Date of birth
1550’s
First went to sea
1569
Married Mary Newman
1581
Mary Newman dies
1585
Drake marries Elizabeth
Sydenham
1596
Drake was stricken by a
tropical disease
1577
Drake sets off on The Golden
Hinde
1580
Drake returns from
circumnavigation
1567
Commanded a ship in a
slave-trading expedition
1572
marauding expeditions.
1587
Drake sails into Cadiz and
destroys 20 ships
1581
Knighted by Elizabeth 1 on
4th April
A Trip to The Golden Hinde
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